Nickel tetracarbonyl, like a lot of metal carbonyls, is an odd duck. Many complexes of metals and carbon monoxide don't act much like metal at all, and Ni(CO)4 isn't an exception. Nickel carbonyl is a liquid, but only just - it boils at 43C, or just above blood temperature. It's subject to lots of reactions, and just passing CO over impure nickel is a viable method of purifying nickel from a mixture (it will leave as the liquid or gas, depending on the temperature).
Unfortunately, it will give up that CO readily, including, as pointed out here, to certain vital enzymes, such as your hemoglobin and cytochromes. Chances are, you are working with more nickel carbonyl than you have essential enzymes. This often goes poorly.
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